The beginning of a journey

So, now that I’m done struggling to “pack lightly” (as suggested by our program directors, and loosely interpreted by me) and finally coming to terms with the fact that I won’t be able to binge-watch season 4 of Orange is the New Black when it comes out on Netflix, I’m getting more and more excited for my trip to Guatemala this summer, where I’ll be working on a research project. And in this brief and fleeting moment where I am free of any responsibilities (except for getting myself to the airport in time), I am feeling a little reflective.

It seems like yesterday I was walking across the stage at my college graduation (nope, that was actually over a year ago), and the year ever since has been a complete whirlwind. I started medical school in August, met some amazing people who have become some of my closest friends, spent hours in anatomy lab, even more hours in the library, went to my first music festival, took a girls trip to Vegas, and watched my alma mater (almost) win the NCAA March Madness tournament.

And now it’s June. And a week ago I passed my last exam of my first year of medical school. And tomorrow I leave the country to do research for the summer. (What?!)

All that just to say that I want to do a better job of chronicling my experiences–both scholarly and, um, *extracurricular*–as I go through medical school. And what better time to start now, as I embark on a 7-week trip to Guatemala!

I’ll try my best to keep this blog updated and share some highlights of my first time to Central America with you! Here we go!